Arts Workshop Brings King Tut's Tomb Back to Life

The burial chamber of King Tutankhamen is currently in Madrid. OK, it's a re-creation. But it's a near-perfect re-creation, down to the paint on his sarcophagus. Made by arts workshop Factum Arte, the copy is awaiting transport to Egypt, as soon as the political situation there calms down. Factum started the knockoff in 2009, hauling truckloads of equipment into the Valley of the Kings to make detailed scans of the real tomb. By the end of seven weeks, the team had captured everything, even ancient graffiti. Back in Spain, they used a computer-controlled milling machine to cut reliefs out of polyurethane panels, which were molded in silicone to form the walls. The paintings were printed on Papergel, a flexible material that applies easily to uneven surfaces.

The studio has used a version of this technique to re-create oil paintings like da Vinci's Last Supper. Such "noncontact conservation," as Factum Arte founder Adam Lowe calls it, means tourists—and their cash—can flow into historical sites without wrecking them.

The copy will soon be your best option. Tut's actual tomb is slated to eventually close to all except those willing to pay thousands to see the boy-king.